


the red string

by tasteslikeciel



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS
Genre: M/M, Oops?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-16
Updated: 2018-10-16
Packaged: 2019-08-02 23:49:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,703
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16315016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tasteslikeciel/pseuds/tasteslikeciel
Summary: For all his charm and charisma, Ryoken can’t manage to ask Yusaku out properly without stumbling over his words. Despite this the message is clear. Yusaku accepts with a tiny smile hidden behind his hand and the two spend a quiet day together, just the two of them wandering the city alone. Maybe things are a little too messy between them and things won’t always be perfect in the future, but today is still special because Yusaku said yes and his smile will always be burned into Ryoken’s memory.





	the red string

**Author's Note:**

> this little thing was born from a discord conversation
> 
> i’m sorry

Yusaku’s fingers still along his keyboard and he turns wide, disbelieving eyes up to stare at his snowy-haired friend, whose cheeks are gradually becoming a bright shade of pink the longer he remains silent. Yusaku blinks once, twice, thrice, and then cocks his head to the side, a hopeful kind of confusion painting itself across his features. 

“I’m...sorry?”

His response, if anything, somehow makes Ryoken’s skin flush an even darker shade. He sinks into his seat a little, purposely keeping his eyes locked onto the wooden table they are seated at.

“I...y-you heard me…” Ryoken manages and bites down on his lip, almost looking like he might cry from embarrassment. It’s quite a look on him. “...you did hear me, right?”

And Yusaku did hear him but he’s also not sure he did at all. Because for Ryoken to say such a thing out-of-the-blue is too good to be true, it’s too much like a dream. The way he sees it, he either fell asleep in Kusanagi’s truck again and for once is having a good dream or he simply misheard. Ryoken’s expression is very telling, however. Did he really…?

An elbow gently pokes into his ribs and Yusaku turns away from Ryoken’s burning face to eye his friend Takeru, who’s been silently seated next to him during Ryoken’s butchered attempt at a question. Takeru’s eyes are shining in that too-bright way of his and his lips are stretched into a wide, knowing grin. Yusaku raises an eyebrow at him and Takeru simply laughs in response.

“Yusaku, come on. Don’t tease him.” he says. He then leans over, hand cupping against the side of Yusaku’s face, and whispers into Yusaku’s ear. His breath tickles and Yusaku squirms slightly. “Say yes already before he melts.”

Out the corner of his eye, Yusaku sees Ryoken cover his face with his hands and that pulls a very tiny, quiet little laugh out of him that he tries to hide behind his hand. He’s used to Ryoken’s melodramatic entrances accompanied by confident speeches and his charismatic flair for knowing just what to say in any given situation. So having him nervously stumble over his words (and a  _ date  _ proposal, at that) is a bit jarring, but it’s...cute, he thinks is the right word. It’s a bit mind-boggling, but perhaps even someone like Ryoken gets flustered over this sort of thing from time to time. Honestly, Yusaku thought he himself would be the one to stumble because he has no knowledge of dating or how to initiate one and he’s been pondering over it for quite sometime, too. And yet here they both are, Ryoken the one beside himself with embarrassment and Yusaku the one coolly waiting for something to happen.

Perhaps he didn’t mishear after all. Takeru certainly doesn’t seem to think so.

“Ryoken?”

Ryoken’s fingers part enough for his silvery-blue eyes to peek through. He doesn’t say anything, but there’s a glint of worried anticipation in his eyes, like he’s expecting Yusaku to turn him down or tease him for his sloppy proposal. How long had he rehearsed his words to himself, Yusaku can’t help but wonder, only for his entire script to flop due to unexpected interruption and nerves? He really should spare him and show mercy.

He quickly shuts down his laptop and quietly closes the lid before letting his hands rest in his lap. He lets his smile widen just a bit before he continues to speak and finally answers Ryoken properly before he, as Takeru so aptly put it, melts.

“Yes.” That one word sounds so surreal to his ears but tastes so sweet on his lips. “I’d like that.”

Ryoken’s eyes widen ever so slightly behind his parted fingers and he hesitates a moment but eventually comes out of hiding, though his face is still fairly pinkier than normal. 

“Really?”

Yusaku hums, nodding his head a little. “Really.”

Ryoken’s lips stretch into a lopsided smile as his gaze drops back to the table and a breath leaves him. He’s relieved and it fills Yusaku’s chest with a fuzzy, pleasant warmth. It’s strange how something so small--such a small action as seeing someone he cares about smile--can make him feel like there’s nothing bad within the world. 

It’s nice.

“I’ll take that~”

Yusaku blinks as Takeru suddenly leans over to snatch up his laptop and holds it to his chest. Another raised eyebrow and another laugh from Takeru follows. It’s a comfortable habit of theirs.

“I’ll lock this up in the truck for you.” Takeru explains. His pale blue eyes shift to glance at Ryoken briefly before he winks at Yusaku. “I think you’ll be a little preoccupied for a while. So go have fun~”

Takeru stands from his seat with Yuskau’s laptop in his arms and begins to walk towards Kusanagi’s food truck. However, as he passes by Ryoken, he seems to suddenly think of something because he pauses and leans down to fix Ryoken with a halfhearted glare.

“If you make him cry, I’ll tell Flame to put a virus in your Duel Disk.”

He’s still smiling despite his words and even chuckles around a few of them, but the message is clear. He’s being serious, in a way, and Yusaku has to frown up at him for it, just a little.

“Takeru.”

Takeru leans back up and shrugs like this isn’t a big deal, like this is his role and he has no choice but to play his part and properly threaten Ryoken like any good friend would.

“No worries of that.” Ryoken speaks up. He sits a little straighter and turns to meet Takeru’s gaze. He sounds much more sure of himself this time. No stumbling of words, no fidgeting. He’s every bit the strong, confident person he normally is. “We have our differences, but I can assure you that I will not hurt him. Ever.”

Takeru’s hums and doesn’t speak for a moment, like he’s quietly inspecting Ryoken for lies. 

“Mmm, I suppose you wouldn’t. That’s fair.” he concedes and adjusts his glasses before continuing. “Even still, Flame knows where you live~”

Yusaku can’t help it and another of his tiny little laughs spills from his lips. Ryoken simply huffs.

“I want to take him out to lunch, not make him cry. Don’t be ridiculous.”

“Sure, sure~ I trust you, Kogami-kun. Really, I do.” Takeru pats Ryoken’s shoulder before using the same hand to gesture towards the food truck with an open palm. “Buuuut you’re kind of whisking someone’s adoptive little brother away and might want to keep what I said in mind anyway.”

Both Yusaku and Ryoken set their sights on the food truck only to see Kusanagi himself quietly standing at the window watching them with a pair of metal tongs in one hand. Kusanagi doesn’t call out to them, but his eyes do narrow slightly and he makes a show of pointing the tongs at Ryoken and then at a nearby ketchup bottle. Kusanagi then knocks the tongs into the ketchup bottle, making it fall onto its side and leak a bit of ketchup.

“I think you’re supposed to be the ketchup bottle.” Takeru translates.

Yusaku is a bit exasperated. “Kusanagi-san.”

Ryoken raises his hands in a sign of surrender. “Message received. I promise I won’t do anything bad.”

“I know that, Kogami-kun.” Takeru laughs. “I think Kusanagi-san does, too. Anyway, you two have fun~”

Takeru turns away and heads toward the back of the food truck. When he’s far enough, Ryoken turns back to Yusaku and lets out another sigh.

“They hate me.”

Yusaku bites back a smile. “No they don’t. They’re just being a little overprotective.”

A soft smile touches Ryoken’s lips. “Because they love you and I’m the big scary villain taking you away from them. I get it. It’s fine. Honestly, I expected worse.”

Ryoken seems much more relaxed now that Takeru has left them alone. Kusanagi is still keeping a watch, but Ryoken doesn’t seem to mind it now that he can’t actually see the older man staring at him.

“Were you really that nervous?” Yusaku asks, thinking back to earlier.

“God yes. I was terrified.” Ryoken admits, shoulders slumping as he huffs out a short laugh. Yusaku can’t help smiling along with it. “I thought you might agree. It’s just lunch together after all, but...I really wasn’t counting on having an audience.”

Takeru’s presence threw a wrench into his plans, so it seems. Initially, Yusaku had been alone, but not long after Ryoken joined him at the table for idle chat did Takeru suddenly appear and right in the middle of Ryoken’s lunch proposal, too. At that point, it had been too late for him to back out so Ryoken pushed on and his words fell into mush. Even still, the message came across quite clear, enough to where Yusaku had to question his own hearing. Butchered or not, Ryoken  _ did  _ succeed.

“I’m not very familiar with this stuff, but you did seem out of sorts.” Yusaku says. “It must have been hard. Still, it was cute.”

Ryoken’s face flushes all over again and he levels a tiny glare on Yusaku. “Shut up.”

Another tiny little laugh slips past Yusaku’s lips and Ryoken’s glare instantly melts. His head shakes and he sighs again.

“What a mess.” Ryoken mumbles.

“Mm.” Yusaku hums in agreement. Messy but nice. He doesn’t see any harm in that. “So, lunch?”

-x-x-

Lunch is a quiet, cozy affair in the corner of a little cafe deep within the busier part of Den City. It’s the kind of cafe filled with colorful sweets, cappuccinos, and perfectly cut, triangular shaped sandwiches that’s popular among students. Yusaku rarely visits this part of town so he never knew about such a place, but he supposes, had things been different and his life been less hectic, that he might of liked such a place and visited often. As it is, he harbors a certain loyalty to Cafe Nagi and almost feels a little bad for sitting inside a rival business.

“How did you find this place?” Yusaku questions and takes a sip of his frothy cappuccino. He’s never had one before and it’s a little too sweet for his tastes, but coupled with the toasted egg sandwich he ordered, it’s rather tasty. “I’ve never heard of it before.”

“I used to come here a lot to study for exams.” Ryoken admits. He idly stirs his own sweetened coffee with a straw. It’s the same as Yusaku’s but with a bit less foam. “Back when...well, during that time I was waiting for father to come home, I grew restless. The only thing I could think to do was study. Sometimes being at home was too much so I wandered. Then, I found this place.”

The air between them grows a little tense. Dr. Kogami isn’t a subject either of them really speak about, but it’s not something they can altogether avoid discussing, either. It has leads to arguments, both in VR and out. But, Yusaku won’t let that happen this time. Ryoken brought this up, was even hesitant about it, but he isn’t being confrontational. He’s just stating facts and Yusaku understands that. His revenge is long over, his tormentor is dead, and what’s left is Ryoken, Yusaku’s light in a dark place. 

One day, it won’t be such a struggle for them. One day…

“I see.” Yusaku responds with a hum. “It’s nice. Quiet, too. I like it.”

Ryoken pauses in his stirring and sits back, shaking his head. At what, Yusaku isn't sure. The pinch in his expression has faded, though, so perhaps he’s just relieved that he didn’t ruin the mood by bringing his father up. 

“I’m glad.” he says and then chuckles. “I’m sorry for being so awkward about this. I feel...really silly now. I’ve been worried for no reason.”

“It’s fine. No need to apologize.” Yusaku’s head tilts and it takes a lot of willpower to keep his smile from growing too wide. “I’ve never been asked on a date like this before, but it makes me happy all the same.”

Ryoken’s shoulders slump. “No one is ever going to let me forget about that, are they?”

“Probably not.”

“Rude.”

The two share a laugh together before returning to their meals. The air feels lighter now. Seeing Ryoken so at ease with him makes Yusaku feel even happier than before. Here, in this little corner, in this little cafe, it feels like a new beginning. Ryoken finally decided to meet Yusaku halfway and extended his hand once again. Only this time, it was to bridge a gap between them and take Yusaku’s hand into his so they they could try walking together. 

_I want to make a new future with you_ , Yusaku remembers saying to him once upon a time.

_I’d like that_ , Ryoken seems to answer now.

Yusaku never expected to find happiness in anything life had to offer him. He never dreamed of a better future, didn’t think he was allowed to have one and wasn’t even sure he’d live long enough to bother trying. But fate has a funny way of playing games and keeping secrets. So now, he thinks it’s okay to dream a little.

Once they’ve polished off their lunches and shared a small dessert together, they stay in their seats for a bit longer and watch as a light shower of rain falls from the sky. Cappuccinos have been exchanged for regular black coffee and they’ve moved to sitting side-by-side, hands laced together and harmless banter spilling from their lips.

“So what you’re saying is, the Playmaker plush is ugly.”

Ryoken makes this face that’s almost like a pout. “No, no. What I’m saying is that it’s no substitute for the real thing. The real thing is far, far cuter. What would I need a plush for?”

“So you won’t buy me.”

Ryoken huffs and lightly bumps his shoulder against Yusaku’s. “If I can hug the real you, why would I need a fake you? It’s...okay,  _ listen _ . The plush is cute, but I like you more so I don’t need one.”

Yusaku understands what he’s getting at and really, he’s touched to know that Ryoken thinks so highly of him, but teasing him a bit over it is kind of fun.

“Okay, but...I mean I bought yours.”

Ryoken pauses and stares, pure and honest confusion masking his face. “...I have a plush?  _ Why? _ ”

Yusaku’s head tilts. “You’d be surprised what kind of merch is out there... Did you really not know?”

Ryoken seems like he’s still trying to process that, but he shakes his head a little and sounds rather intrigued when he speaks again.

“It never occurred to me to consider it as a possibility. After all, Revolver isn’t exactly popular for the right reasons.”

Yusaku hums and leans against Ryoken’s arm as he pulls out his phone with his free hand. He scrolls through a few random pictures he’s taken until he finds a couple of the plush in question. It’s in equally random locations, but the one Yusaku picks out to show Ryoken is one Takeru actually took. It features Yusaku seated at a bench near the ocean with the Revolver plush in his arms.

“I think it’s cute.” Yusaku says as he holds up his phone to show off the picture. “Better than hugging a pillow after a nightmare.”

Ryoken frowns a bit at that and scoots a little closer to Yusaku.

“I suppose…maybe it's a little cute.” His hand squeezes Yusaku’s. “But...the real thing is better, you know.”

“...are you saying you want a hug?”

“I’m saying...I’m saying I want _you_ , not some fake.”

Yusaku blinks and his lips part. Oh...

Fingers press underneath his chin then and make him turn his head up a bit so that all he can see is silvery-blue and pure snow white. Warm breath passes over his cheeks as soft lips graze against his. 

“Next time you have a nightmare, don’t use that thing. Use me instead.”

Ryoken pulls them together and they’re fortunate their booth is so out-of-sight because kissing in public might earn them some looks, but even if they were noticed, Yusaku doesn’t think he would care. He’s never been kissed before and he never thought he would, but now that he is, he likes it. It’s a first time experience and it’s funny because Ryoken gives him a lot of firsts. First date, first rival, first love...and now this.

This swelling in his chest, this bubble of warmth seeping from his heart and spilling into his veins...this is what happiness feels like, isn’t it.

When they part, the rain has stopped falling and bits of sunlight is streaming down onto the sidewalk. People are starting to put away their umbrellas finally and if there was ever a time to leave before the rain started up again, now is that time.

“I guess we should leave now.” Ryoken says quietly and huffs out a chuckle. “I was hoping we could walk around together for a little while.”

“Mm. Where to?”

“Anywhere really.”

It’s Yusaku’s turn to huff out a little laugh and he squeezes Ryoken’s hand. “Anywhere sounds good then.”

The two eventually untangle themselves from each other and then make their way out of the cafe. Two silver bells hanging atop the glass cafe door ring in harmony with each other as they step outside. The sky is still cloudy and it’s possible the rain will return, but for the time being, it seems safe enough to venture out.

“I didn’t even think to bring an umbrella.” Ryoken muses out loud. “There’s puddles everywhere, too…”

“Let’s go get one then.” Yusaku suggests. “That store across the street should have one.”

Ryoken nods. Better safe than sorry, he supposes. “Mm. Good idea.”

The traffic light is still in the red and the crosswalk still in use. So the two step onto it and begin to make their way across.

“And if they sell any Playmaker plushies, I’ll buy you one.” Yusaku adds.

Ryoken’s cheeks puff a little. “Yusaku.”

Yusaku’s laugh is just as small as it usually is, but it’s so light and carefree sounding that it makes Ryoken pause at the curb as Yusaku walks ahead of him. The accompanying smile is so much brighter than it usually is, too. He’s starstruck. Yusaku is really beautiful when he smiles like that. He should do it more and maybe, if Ryoken does this relationship thing right, he will. Takeru and Kusanagi can't murder him for making Yusaku smile like that, now can they?

“Listen, you, I--”

Ryoken takes a step forward to follow along behind Yusaku but a sudden gust of wind rushes past him and his heart leaps up into his throat. It's a strange wind that disappears as quickly as it comes, like a phantom bursting out of its cage. The wind happens so suddenly that he doesn’t have time to process exactly what caused it or even what he almost walked into.

And then the screaming starts. It's loud and grating and horrific like a cacophony of glitching radio stations that have all fallen out of sync. It sounds like voices of the dead, shrieking and pleading and crying out in torment. He can't...he can't stand it. He can't stand the screaming.

“What…?”

He’s incredibly confused, too, because he doesn’t understand what’s happening. He doesn't understand the screams, don't understand why he's suddenly alone or why his heart is beating so hard it feels like it'll burst. He doesn’t see Yusaku anywhere, either. Anxiety wraps around his chest like a vice, squeezing and squeezing until his breath catches and he has to remind himself how to breathe.

He takes a step forward and calls out Yusaku's name. Panic is at the edge of his voice but he tries to swallow it down. He doesn't want to alarm Yusaku for no reason. “Yusaku?”

There's nothing but the howling wraiths there to answer him and he swallows around a lump in his throat. It takes him a moment longer than it should have to realize that the screaming he’s hearing is in part mostly the blaring of a vehicle’s horn but once it registers, he turns to find it’s source.

Crashed into the middle of the street and lying on its side is a small-sized transport truck with SOL’s logo very clearly printed onto the side of it, an ominous beacon under these grey skies.

"..."

It hits him all at once. That wind...that wind was the truck and that truck almost hit him and now Yusaku is nowhere to be seen and the two of them weren’t that far apart and--

“Yusaku?” He takes a step towards the truck, ears ringing, all other sound being drowned out as the world goes silent. “Yusaku?!”

He couldn’t have...he just couldn't have...but then where is he?!

Ryoken rushes over to the crashed truck. The first thing he sees is the driver slumped over in their seat. They don’t appear to be injured, but they aren’t moving either. He can't tell if they're even breathing or not and he should probably be more concerned by it, but all he can think about is finding Yusaku.

“Yusaku, where--?! ...”

He runs around to the front of the truck only to freeze in place and stare, eyes wide and mouth agape.

Liquid pools of scarlet gather around an open palm. It trickles across still warm skin, brushes across parted lips, and collects at the base of unseeing, glassy green eyes like a painter had smeared the canvas, upset at themselves for not being able to properly paint their intended design. There's a very obvious gash barely hidden beneath bubblegum pink bangs. The red spills and spills and keeps flowing like a never-ending river.

Ryoken falls to his knees like a puppet who’s strings have been cut and says nothing, does nothing but stare.

Everything is so red, red, red that it makes his eyes burn and his lips tremble. The pavement, the truck’s grill, Yusaku’s hair...

Ryoken’s never hated a color more.

**Author's Note:**

> gonna be buying that Playmaker plush now oof //brick'd


End file.
